Walter Reed scandal may be 'tip of iceberg,' Waxman says

[sabra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-ex-walterreed5mar06,1,1295032.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&track=crosspromo

Walter Reed scandal may be 'tip of iceberg,' Waxman says

WASHINGTON -- As several committees gear up to investigate the shoddy medical care provided to returning combat veterans from the Iraq War, congressional leaders charged today that the scandal unraveling about soldiers' treatment at Walter Reed Hospital represents the "tip of the iceberg."

In hearings of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee at Walter Reed Hospital, Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) said that veterans and their families are "flooding us with complaints" and that "this may be the tip of the iceberg of what is going on all around the country."

And, citing a litany of news stories and congressional reports, Waxman threw doubt on claims by the Army's higher-ups that they were surprised by disclosures of poor treatment in a Washington Post series two weeks ago.

"They said, 'We never knew things were out of hand.' " Waxman said. "I have a stack of reports and articles that sounded the alarm bells."

[babylonsister]

1. Recommend! I wouldn't doubt that for a second. Go, Waxman, expose

the dirty little secrets that are harming our vets.

[Orrex]

2. Yesterday on the Fox News Sunday morning network show...

Brit Hume opined something along the lines of "look, Walter Reed is in the process of being shut down anyway."

Sure. By that logic, since we won't be in Iraq forever, we might as well let it go to shit in the meantime.


Hey, maybe Brit's onto something there...

[Epiphany4z]

4. How does

Walter Reed's chances of being shut down make it ok to give soliders..crappy health care? How does that make it ok to not find a body of a patient that should have been on 24hr watch hanging in his room for 4 days? How does that make it ok to send solider with a brain injury out to find a building on his own? To leave a solider in a bet full of urine? How does that make it this ok?

They risk there lives..and they should have health care as good as or better than GW and congress

[Orrex]

5. That's my thought exactly

A local McDonalds is shutting down in the next few weeks, but I expect them to keep the roaches off the food in the meantime.

Why can't those same minimal standards be met at the flagship medical facility of the armed forces?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Uh-oh.

Looks like Hank has his "foot in the door" starting point that he needs. From here, he has many great opportunities to dig up and follow any numbers of chains of evidence.

My ghod, Washington must really be smellin' from all the hysterical incontinence.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. patients told not to say anything

http://www.armytimes.com/community/opinion/army_editorial_reed_070302/
http://www.armytimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_opinion_welling070219/
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnsreededit070302/

Dems tried to complain on patients' behalf but GOP did nothing.

[ThomCat]

7. None of those links work.

[frylock]

11. That page has gone AWOL!

scrub-a-dub-dub.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

14. it was there

[corkhead]

8. What should anyone expect when our country is run by people who hold such contempt for government

they destroy everything they touch to "prove" that government doesn't work.

When are people going to wake the fuck up from their american idle anna nichole stupor?

[tex-wyo-dem]

9. K&R!

[ForPeace]

10. My boarding school

put the softer beds at the end near the door, so visitors would feel them and think they were all the same. Spring mattresses near the door and horse hair for the rest. Just window dressing. An old trick. Dems should feel all the beds.

[niyad]

12. any of us who have been dealing with the VA and military medical system since 'nam could have--and

in fact, HAVE, been telling everyone about this for years. this isn't anything new, the only difference is that it is finally getting some attention.

[Rhiannon12866]

13. K&R, as well... This is a very important story.

And it's great that Waxman is on the job...:kick:

[cap]

15. Another "Katrina" is biting the Republicans...

failure to provide government services properly. They are finding out the Americans dont hate all government services. Americans have a core set of services that they want to function effectively and efficiently. Veteran's health care is one of them.

If the Bush administration were not hiding casualty reports, they would have been forced to plan for these men and women. They were warned and they not only chose to ignore the warnings but to intentionally profiteer from depriving our soldiers of basic services. The Katrina syndrome is biting again.

I think by mid-summer we will just have a big melt-down.

[AngryAmish]

16. VA hospitals have sucked for years

I am glad some light is being shed on the problem.

[qwlauren35]

17. I'm not sure how anyone could say they didn't know.

I wrote to a few elected officials about VA hospital problems last September. In fact, i started a thread about it in DU. I'll have to go get it. It's just plain ironic.

I am very uncomfortable with "investigations". People need RELIEF. Can anyone imagine how long people would have waited and suffered if there had been an "investigation" before there were any efforts to alleviate the damage of 9/11? Or hurricane Hugo? (I won't mention Katrina - too embarrassing.)

This investigation stuff makes me want to puke. One by one, as the problems are found, they should have some IMMEDIATE temporary corrective action at a minimum, while the "investigation" progresses.

[myrna minx]

18. Does Rep. Waxman and his staff ever get any sleep?

A :toast: to Rep. Waxman and his staff for their tireless work exposing the shame of the bush administration.

[Vidar]

19. Bravo for Waxman.